The Shipwright's Guide to: Raising Children
by Miss Nanami-chan
Summary: "AOW! You, are one cold-blooded chick!" he exclaimed, pointing the rim of his cola towards her. In the background, the kids were screaming about something looking like it was about to explode. She stared at him blankly, unamused by his theatrics as usual. "...was that supposed to be a joke?" A story about a dead-eyed woman and a blue-haired cyborg. OC
1. I

**One Piece! Fan Fiction! **

**Drama! Family! Romance!**

**(Title)**

**"****The Shipwright's Guide to: Raising Children****"**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own 'One Piece' or any of the characters! **

**WARNING! RATED M! For harsh language.**

* * *

_"Everything grows rounder and wider and weird, and I sit here in the middle of it all and wonder who in the world you will turn out to be." -Carrie Fisher_

* * *

A woman paused, hearing hushed voices outside the door of her workshop. She frowned in irritation, distinctly remembering having asked _not _to be disturbed. Flicking off the soldering iron, she pulled away from the metallic prosthetic on the table to listen in on the whispered conversation.

"A-Aimi! We shouldn't be here!" a boy stuttered nervously. The woman imagined he was wringing his hands in that habit of his whenever he knew they were going to get into trouble. She then heard the sound of something remarkably _heavy _being placed in a wagon, his wagon, she would wager. His voice went up a couple octaves in panic, "Oofph—A-And we _d-definitely _shouldn't be taking _this_!"

There was a light scoff from a second little thief, cocky and more than a little sure of herself. "We're not '_taking_' it, we're just... borrowing it for a little bit!" she corrected cheerfully.

The woman leaned back in her chair and pulled the protective goggles from her eyes, massaging her temple as she mentally went over the list of the many, many things they could be making off with at the moment. There were a number of items in the workshop that she was sure they wouldn't hurt themselves by grabbing and she was almost certain that she had all the gunpowder moved to an undisclosed location after what happened last time, but... she couldn't be _completely _certain.

Well, she'd hoped. That would have to do for the moment.

The boy let out a little whine of distress, much to his sister's annoyance. "Wuuah... Mom's gonna be _so mad _when she finds out about this..."

"Tch! This is exactly why everyone thinks you're such a buzzkill!" the young girl snapped, raising her voice in irritation. "Listen, you can't ever accomplish anything in life if you're always worried about rules other people set for you, bro! You've got to—"

"_SHHHHHHH_!" a third, and just as familiar if not _supremely _less welcome, voice chimed in with a hiss. Unlike the other two, it seemed as if he actually remembered that they were supposed to be acting '_sneaky_' at the moment. "Unless you two wanna be caught then you've got to be _suuupeer _quiet! C'mon! _Follow my lead_!"

Minato withheld a groan, seriously contemplating whether or not it would be worth the trouble to get up and see what hare-brained plot that idiotic man was getting her children into this time. She looked back down at the prosthetic arm that was nearly finished after months of laboring over designs and various failed prototypes. It was _nearly _done! Just a few more tweaks and she'd finally take it out for a real test run...

Interrupting her thoughts was a loud _CRASH! _that bounced off the walls and no doubt made a huge mess in the other room, probably from someone knocking over a shelf. She arched a thin eyebrow as all was silent, the three thieves waiting for her to come storming out of her office in a righteous fury. Instead, Minato simply tilted her head to the side as she listened for any sound that would indicate a grievous injury on their part.

A minute passed. No cry of agony came.

She turned back to the prosthetic and went back to work. This time—_and only this time_—she would let them get away with it. If they made too much of a mess then she'll just scold them later. As they clean the workshop from top to bottom, of course. If they took something potentially dangerous then she'll just have to kick that idiot's ass for allowing her children to play with it.

Right now, she was busy.

"...she must be going deaf!" she heard Aimi whisper-yell and Minato was very tempted to get up for that remark. But she let it slide in favor of slipping on her goggles as she took up her soldering iron. Soon, she heard the front door close behind them with an audible click and Minato focused all of her attention back to the delicate task at hand. She had a whole ten minutes of solitude to herself before an explosion went off in the distance. One that shook the workshop from floor to foundation, rattling the walls so much that some of her tools fell off the table.

A dreadful feeling sunk into Minato's gut and she squeezed her eyes tightly, putting down her soldering iron again.

"_MINATO-SAAAAAAN_!" she recognized Paulie's voice calling from outside.

Minato pinched the bridge of her nose as Paulie continued to wail her name like some kind of damned soul from the depths of the seafloor... all she wanted was a few hours without distractions or disruptions so she could finish her work.

Was it really too much to ask for?

"MINATO-SAAAN!" he called again, urgently.

The answer was: _Yes_, it was too much to ask for.

She kicked away from her desk with a growl and marched out of the building, seeing a plume of black smoke rising up not more than twenty meters away. The other workers on the dockyard quickly ceased their idle gawking at the scene and scrambled out of the woman's way, revealing metallic debris and two guilty-looking children being held up by the scruff of their shirts by one livid Paulie. _Unharmed_, she noted. No one was bleeding or wounded. Good.

Seeing the arrival of their Mother, Kaito curled up into a miserable little ball as he dangled in Paulie's grasp, while a defiant look had crossed Aimi's cherub-like features. She looked exactly like a petulant child caught in the act with her tiny arms folded across her chest and a pout on her lips.

Minato had a deep, disapproving scowl on her face.

"AOW! Yo, Mina! What's up?"

If possible, her scowl _deepened_.

Black eyes moved to the blue-haired idiot standing a foot away from the epicenter of what she guessed was the explosion, debris and shrapnel spread out around him. Franky grinned sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck, his body covered in scorch marks and even a bit of his shirt was singed. He, too, looked relatively unharmed but she had to wonder just what it was they took that would blow—

This was the moment that Kaito's little wagon decided to finally descend from the stratosphere after being blown to hell and crash bombastically a couple feet away from the group. Inside, Minato instantly recognized the object they'd stolen from her workshop.

"_Is that my experimental canon prototype_!?" she demanded.

Franky's smile was strained now.

"Ahhhh… sorry?"

Minato lunged for the cyborg and that was the story where everybody learned not to mess with Mom's prototypes—_AKA: How Our Story Begins! But, Not Really._

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**The Shipwright's Guide to: Raising Children**

**TO BE CONTINUED**

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**A/N: Haha! Well, this wasn't the one I was expecting to get posted first but, meh! I like it and I am happy with it's over-all progress! To readers new and old: _Hello_~ my loves! This is my first One Piece fanfiction and I am eager to show you guys some of the ideas I've got! **

**Now, of you haven't read my other story '_The Weasel and his Cat_' then I will tell you that similar to that one, _The Shipwrights Guide_ is going to be a compilation of short chapters like the one above. They won't be exceptionally long chapters but sometimes there will probably be chapters that will end up longer than this one was. Because that's just how I am and I really shouldn't make promises about what I'm writing. I can only do what I can. **

**Anyways! That's all I have to say for now, please, go enjoy the next chapter if this one piqued your interest. **

**I love you all, I'm really excited about this!**

_-Nanami_


	2. II

**One Piece! Fan Fiction! **

**Drama! Family! Romance!**

**(Title)**

**"****The Shipwright's Guide to: Raising Children****"**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own 'One Piece' or any of the characters! **

**WARNING! RATED M! For harsh language.**

* * *

—8 Years Earlier—

Stepping off of the one-passenger boat and giving the blue-spotted Bull she rented an appreciative pat and leaving, Minato finally took in the sight of Water 7's renowned Sea Train Station. Slowly making her way across the pristine stone floor, she noted with approval that the one-of-a-kind _Blue Station _was much better maintained than the rest of the island. Though it was much cleaner than most, she had only one thought that just about surmised her feelings since arriving on this sinking island:

It wasn't much to look at.

She caught onto that pessimistic thought and reminded herself—_not for the first time that day_—to cut the residents of Water 7 some slack. It was only with the recent addition of the quickly growing infamous Sea Train that regular trade to the city had been reestablished. They were still trying to find their footing after so many years of barely managing to scrape by.

Still, she couldn't deny that after the last hour she had spent sight-seeing through the canals that interweaved the city's tiered levels she had been left feeling greatly underwhelmed by what she'd seen. She would concede that the architecture was unlike any other place she had been to before so she'd give them that, but due to years of slow flooding and neglect, the city was surely not even a shadow of what it should've been. Not to mention the distaste she had when she witnessed the collected debris of hundreds of wrecked or scrapped ships and waste that the residents have oh-so fondly referred to as _'Scrap Island'_.

_A shame_, she thought, _There's real potential here if only it had the right leadership to bring it about._

Yes, so far she had not been won over by Water 7. Even now she was rethinking her decision to come here in the first place. If it hadn't been for her Aunt's letter then she probably would've found some quiet little island by a Navy base and made her living as a mechanic or something. But, Minato had promised to give this place a fair shake so that is what she intended on doing. The next, and last, thing she had to check off before making a final decision about Water 7 lied solely on the impression of _one man_.

She had found that man crouched in front of the iron deathtrap renowned as the Puffing Tom, the train that can travel over the sea. He had a oil-stained bandana tied over shaggy blue hair that reached his shoulders and looked like it had never met the business end of a comb, the beginnings of some stubble growing along his jaw. A plain sleeveless shirt that exposed the tattoos on his shoulders that were a few shades lighter than his hair, and jeans that were also stained with grease and other dark substances that covered his hands. Not noticing how her gaze was on him, he casually lifted a hand and scratched his nose, smearing half his face with the black grease in the process.

Minato was disciplined enough not to make a face. Still... _This _was the man her Aunt had recommended as a potential employer?

She also did not sigh, being too well trained.

"You Iceburg?" she called out, voice sharp like the crack of a whip. It had been so sudden in fact that the man had smacked his head on the underside of the steps he'd been repairing. With a muttered curse about '_a damned frog_' he pulled himself out from under the Puffing Tom to look up at the shadowed figure towering over him on the terminal's platform.

Tall, maybe as tall as him. Blue-gray hair cropped at her neck, a tidy and proper-looking. Her eyes though, they were a pitch black and so large that one could hardly see the whites of them. A pale face set into an expression of utter deadpan and looking like she had never laughed a day in her life before. She wore thick leather gloves and though the white duster she wore did well to conceal her figure for the most part, once he noticed it, Iceburg had not been able to stop staring at her _very _swollen stomach with what he felt like was an appropriate fear at the prospect that the woman would be giving birth in the middle of Blue Station at any moment.

Minato realized this.

"Are you Iceburg of Tom's Workers?" she clarified, not allowing annoyance to seep into her tone. _Give him a chance,_ she patiently reminded herself.

Hearing his former mentor's name had snapped him out of his gawking. He straightened up and attempted to wipe the dark residue on his hands off onto his shirt unsuccessfully. He really only managed to stain more of his shirt.

"Y-Yes!" he cleared his throat, composing himself as well as he could standing up to his knees in water. "That's me."

"I'm here for the job interview. Kokoro should've mentioned me."

Again, Iceburg was reduced to staring. She reminded herself _patience_ and Minato dryly thought she might become a saint at this rate.

"_You're _Minato-san?" he asked incredulously.

_Yes, this was going so well already... _she thought. She should just turn tail and take up that instructor's job she'd been offered. Again, Minato tampered down her pessimism and took a deep breath and looked Iceburg squarely in his eye.

"Look, it's not my way to beat around the bush so I'll just be frank with you, Iceburg-san." she began, her scrutinizing black orbs pinning him down. The two feet of clearance she had standing on the platform made her seem even taller and more imposing. "Honestly? You look an unreliable lout that will crumble under the first amount of real pressure applied. But Kokoro vouches for your character, so I'll be willing to give this a chance if you are."

"I... appreciate your candor." he said diplomatically. He then pulled himself up to the platform to stand on equal ground as her, slightly unnerved to note that she actually was as tall as himself. That was unusual. "So, tell me more about yourself? I'd like to know more about the kind of man that would work under me. Er, woman."

"I'm a Marine." she started off bluntly, voice as cool as a winter chill. She watched his expression carefully. "Is that going to be a problem with you?"

His brow furrowed slightly as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't you mean _former _Marine?"

"Nope."

He stared at her a moment, evaluating her.

"I should tell you now then that I plan on taking commissions from both the Navy and any Pirates that can pay." he informed her flatly. Now it was his turn to watch her expression. "I need to know if your beliefs are going to conflict with that."

The soon-to-be-mother had finally showed another emotion besides '_civilly disinterested_' and that was one of open annoyance.

"My '_belief_' is that respect and trust should be earned. I respect and trust the man that made me into a Marine, but my lack of trust in Navy establishment is what brought me to Water 7." she explained, lips dipping into a scowl. "Put into simpler terms: I don't give a damn what kind of flag they fly. If they are stupid enough to try and screw with me then they'll be regretting it."

If he felt any sort of reassurance or trepidation with her answer, he didn't show it. Instead, what he had said next had made the final impression on Minato.

"It is also my ambition to unite all the shipyards on the island together so that we can organize our resources instead of squabbling over them and save this place to begin building the future that my mentor envisioned."

For the first time since meeting Iceburg of Water 7 Minato had seen a glimpse of intelligence shine in his dull gaze. Of an emotion she recognized as steely determination. Her lips flattened into a this line and she stared at him, maybe a bit more considering than a moment before. One corner of his lips threatened to twitch up into a smile, seeing the slight attitude change in the stern-faced woman.

"So... you wanna help?" he offered.

Minato narrowed her eyes at the grubby, underwhelming man.

She hoped she won't regret this.

"Sure. Where do we start?" she sighed.

Before he had a chance to answer, Minato's brow suddenly pinched together as she placed her hand over her stomach and Iceburg was struck with the very rational and reasonable fear of spontaneous childbirth again.

"Wait, first, where's the bathroom? There are two brats sitting their asses on my bladder and I really need to piss."

And that was the story of Minato's first day as the Galley-La Company's very first employee—_AKA: How Our Story Actually Began!_

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**The Shipwright's Guide to: Raising Children**

**TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

**A/N: And there we go. A proper set-up! I'd love to hear what you guys think of Minato! **

**I love you all! Until next time~! **

_-Nanami_


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